Intensive Workshops

The objective for the dental sessions is to present key ideologies in addition to discussing the underpinning theoretical principles of equine oral health and welfare. Lectures will largely focus on donkeys, with notable differences between the Equus subgenus’s highlighted. Data will be also be presented from recent Donkey Sanctuary dental health audits 2013 and 2014.

The lecture topics include:
- Equine dentistry - an overview: presenting the justifications for dental examination and treatment; the relationship to welfare and the scale of dental disease in equids;
- Applied anatomy and mastication: basic recap to include evolution and gross anatomy of the head; dental nomenclature/charting, eruption and wear rates will be discussed in addition to mastication and more detailed cheek tooth surface anatomy;
- Malocclusions and pathology: a picture heavy journey through the mouth looking at common dental pathologies and their aetiology;
- Instrumentation: a vast range of dental instrumentation is presented including discussion on manual and motorised equipment, ancillary aids and care/maintenance;
- Treatment: including discussions on suitable location/restraint, instrumentation/resources, typical treatments correlating to patient age, oral examination, the decision to treat, limitations to treatment and including videos illustrating the principles of the reduction of enamel points and dental overgrowths.

A practical session will follow the morning’s theoretical programme and delegates will be able to perform group based, detailed oral examination of cadaver specimens and have the opportunity to practice dental charting should they so wish. It is hoped this session will generate discussions on pathology, treatment options, and the wider implications of dental health and disease (quality of life, pain, and prognosis). Delegates will be expected and encouraged to raise questions and engage in discussion within a supportive learning environment.

Sessão da manhã:
Assessing pain, welfare and quality of life in donkeys and improving pain control using multimodal analgesia in clinical situations

Donkeys are recognised to be stoical and this can result in delayed recognition of pain and adverse effects on their clinical health and welfare. Welfare is a subjective topic and in the workshop we will look at the different accepted ways that exist to quantify and correlate the wellbeing of donkeys. This will involve audience participation and input with their ideas and actions. It is important to treat pain, so we will discuss multimodal analgesia, the differences in donkey pharmacology with commonly used drugs. Finally we will look at plans for analgesia in standard clinical procedures - e.g. dental extraction, standing enucleation, colitis, limb /hoof surgery for foot and tendon surgery. Delegates are welcome to bring their own cases/challenges to discuss.